Mars Planet Drawing
Mars has long captivated the attention of humanity with its endless mysteries, such as canals, spring growth, waves of darkening and whether life exists there. These theories have fuelled centuries of scientific inquiry into this planet that lies beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Students can explore these intriguing ideas in the Images of Mars Electronic PictureBook. It provides a concise yet informative introduction to Mars and its topographic features.
1. Circle
Mars, known as Mars, has long captivated scientific curiosity. Scientists search for signs that it once had an atmosphere, clouds, polar ice caps and seasonal weather variations–along with other clues to its former habitability.
Mars has always piqued our curiosity more than any other planet in our solar system, inspiring many science fiction stories both in history and popular culture. Popular culture has often featured theories about canals, spring growth patterns, waves of darkening and life on Mars itself.
Drawing a planet requires high quality paper that is both heavy enough not to tear easily but soft enough for pencil drawing. Additionally, you will need either a black circle blank or report form, either printed from the website above (ask for the correct size and shape of this blank when ordering from there).
Begin by drawing an outline of Mars with pencil, then magnify it using an eraser to give the illusion that it is larger than it actually is. This step is especially crucial if you wish to show off Mars’ rings.
Next, sketch a sketch of the planet’s ring in pencil, highlighting its surface as you go along. If available, take advantage of telescopic images of the planet to compare your drawing with it; this will help correct any mistakes.
Once your ring is drawn, draw the main features of the planet. These will include the terminator, central meridian and any prominent dark features like the limb or polar cap. Generally speaking, these parts will appear brightest at opposition but may appear dim elsewhere.
Finally, you can add details such as the moon and planets. The moon serves to indicate the rotation of a planet while planets add texture and dimension. You could also include other objects like stars and other space debris for visual effect.
2. Lines
Mars, the fifth planet from the sun, has a surface covered in dust. Some of this dust can be seen as long straight lines across its surface which were once thought to be signs of canals or other human-made structures on Mars.
Mars’ surface is covered in iron oxide dust that comes in various shades of orange. This striking contrast makes Mars stand out from Earth.
Before beginning to draw a planet, make sure that you have adequate paper or printed blank on which to work. Choose an economical medium-weight paper so it is comfortable for holding and drawing with, plus thick enough so your pencils stay cool when doing detailed work.
To draw the planets more accurately, you should have some drawing tools at your disposal. These may include a drawing compass, pencil and pen.
Another helpful tool you can use when drawing a planet is a ruler. This will guarantee your planets look perfect!
Once your planets have been drawn, it’s time to begin coloring them in! You can do this using various art mediums such as paints, colored pens or markers. Mix up these mediums for a more vivid appearance when coloring in your planets.
Start coloring the planets using colors found on them. This will produce some stunning variations and give your planets a distinctive appearance!
In the early days of the British Astronomical Association, many members in Mars and Jupiter Sections used specialized erasing paper. These cards featured pre-drawn blacked-round planetary disks tinted with warm ground color which could then be layered over with light pencil to add martian albedo features or Jupiter’s belts and then scraped away using a sharp penknife by hand.
3. Shades
Mars is a planet of many colors, from deep red to light green and everything in between. The best-known hue is brick-dust red which covers approximately one fourth of its surface area. The Martian sky appears butterscotch due to Rayleigh scattering by molecules and dust particles within its thin atmosphere.
Though relatively obscure, Mars offers an intriguing canvas for artists to draw. Indeed, it may be one of the most intriguing objects in outer space!
Making an accurate drawing of this mystical world involves drawing a sphere slightly larger than the actual planet and filling it with various curved lines. Doing so will create the illusion of depth and realism, as the surface appears to rise out from its background.
For a more complex design, you could utilize various shapes and textures to give the planet an immersive 3D effect. To get optimal results, incorporate different materials into each step of the drawing process.
To create this effect, select a chalk pastel that closely resembles the brick-dust red of Earth and lay down an even layer of the same material on your paper. You may need to add extra opacity so you don’t miss any shiny objects.
With some careful practice and your newly acquired expertise, you can create some striking drawings. Start with a basic outline sketch and progress to more intricate designs as you gain experience working in the medium.
4. Details
For centuries, observers have struggled to discern the subtle details on Mars’ surface. Today we know that a planet as intricate and diverse as Mars can harbor an array of captivating features. This globe displays those intriguing landmarks as observed by NASA spacecraft and celebrates all of the significant discoveries made over time that have further expanded our understanding of Mars.
Johann Heinrich Madler and Wilhelm Beer produced the earliest maps of Mars after using ten years worth of observations to map its physical features across its surface. They designated these features with letters, then divided it up into thirty quadrangles to represent major regions on Mars.
They also pinpointed Mars’ rotation period and proved that most surface features were permanent. This marked a major milestone in establishing Mars as an object of study for planetary scientists, providing them with valuable data for their future investigations.
Giovanni Schiaparelli created an influential map of Mars that marked its north-south axis and periodic oppositions. This landmark in telescopic observations of Mars remains today.
Areography is a branch of planetary science that deals with delineating and characterizing regions on Mars, either natural or man-made. It mainly relies on cartographic techniques for mapping but also involves observation and analysis of physical features.
As with other celestial objects, there are various techniques for drawing them. Generally, this involves using a telescope to observe the object and drawing a sketch based on what can be seen in the telescopic image.
An effective way to practice drawing Mars is to draw a simple sketch using ordinary pen and pencil. You could do this on paper or thin cardboard, with at least 50mm diameter and preferably white so it can be clearly seen through a telescope.
Next, use a chalk pastel (not a wax crayon!) with as close an hue to Mars’ brick-dust red as you can find and lay down a colored background. Begin by drawing in the terminator and gradually adding all other dark markings you can see. Finally, draw in any delicate streaks or clouds you can make out.